Authors: Wendy Dubow Polins
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Historical, #Mystery & Detective, #Romance, #Time Travel
I
LEAN BACK INTO the deep leather seat and wrap my arm through Benjamin's as I look past his beautiful sleeping face and out the small window of the jet. I see the surface of the earth below and the stars in the sky above and feel myself slipping through time.
Traversing worlds.
We had buried my grandfather in our family plot in Israel, and I was overwhelmed by the worldwide outpouring of sentiment, letters, calls, and e-mails about his legacy and life. The vision and courage of a small man who had inspired so many. It was an incredible story, widely featured in the international news. The great scientist who died suddenly at the top of the mountain—days before presenting the findings of his life's work.
But I knew different.
I remembered everything about that night on the mountain and the incredible days before with Benjamin. I put together what had seemed like disparate pieces of my life—random occurrences—and realize,
know
that they are not. I have found the clarity that can only come from looking at things afterward. Fate, destiny, or whatever the many forces could be called, all played a part in what led me to him. I realize that so many people who loved me knew all along that it would happen.
And I know that our being together is the only way it could ever be.
I was beginning to accept the idea that my grandfather was in another place, one that he had always believed existed, one he had finally found. He had proven in every way what he had always known in his heart to be true while teaching me to believe and trust in what my heart was telling me as well. I understood for the first time how it all might work. That the soul can exist in many forms, in different
worlds.
And I knew that the tunnels my grandfather and Einstein had found were impassable physically to those from this world.
At least for now.
And then, there was Benjamin. It was as if everything in my life had led me to him. The unstoppable inevitability of our finding each other and my understanding that the rules of the universe were very different for him. He had chosen to stay in this world—with me—and had given up his ability to travel through the tunnels and his timeless existence. We would be together, and he would stay here where we would age and be subject to the same laws of time.
He said that this was the way it was always meant to be.
I realized that the connections I had always found in the many parts of my life—literature, architecture, science, and even ancient mysticism, all pointed to the same thing: the idea that everything exists for a purpose, that things happen for a reason, and that through our choices, the power and freedom we have been given, we can change our lives and the world.
I finally understand what it means to find the beginning in the end.
Q: What is the meaning of "The power to choose your own fate?" Do you think one can actually choose?
Q: Einstein said, "Everything is connected." What does that mean to you?
Q: What is special about the relationship between Lily and Gabriella? Have you ever felt that same relationship with a friend?
Q: The book tells us that "Art and science are asking the same question—what, if anything is eternal?" Do you agree? Can you think of any examples?
Q: Gabriella and her grandmother have premonitions. They know or feel things before they happen. Do you know anyone with that gift or power?
Q: Gabriella's grandmother, Sophie, wrote, "Only art education can improve quality of life, understanding and knowledge." What do you think she meant by this? Do you agree?
Q: The book deals with destiny and fate and whether we can change things. Do you believe that "What did not happen might still remain possible, if we could go back in time and choose differently?"
Q: The book proposes that art is a legacy for the future and a way to live on into time. Can you think of other ways to live on, to leave your mark, your legacy, after your death?
Q: The book is in the first person, the voice of Gabriella. Would it have been as effective in the third person?
Q: The scientific community believes that everything will be ultimately explained through the "Theory of Everything." Do you agree or do you think there are mysteries in the universe that will never be explained?
Q: Einstein proposed that there may be wormholes that connect to other universes and might allow people to live longer and age differently. Do you believe these wormholes, connections through space and time, exist? Why or why not?
Q: What is the connection between the mystical tradition of Gabriella's parents and the theoretical physics of her grandfather?
Q: Do you believe, as the book suggests, that there is ONE person destined for you in the universe, one that completes you? Or do you think that many people could fill that role?
Q: Sophie often quotes T.S. Eliot's poem
Four Quartets,
found in the preface, from which the book title comes. What do you think is the meaning of this poem?
Q: Many times in the book Gabriella says she has so many questions. Do you think she is imitating the way we, as readers, as fellow travelers, feel?
Q: Benjamin suggests that LOVE is more powerful than any rules of the universe. Do you agree? Why or why not?
A special thank you to Renee Nadel, for her help in crafting these questions.